An Undead Alternative
by SookieMerlotte
Summary: Did you ever wonder how different Sookie's life would have been if Sam had manned-up and professed his feelings for her before Bill showed up? Set a month before Bill moved to Bon Temps. Rating change!
1. Chapter 1

**All characters belong to the lovely **_**Charlaine Harris**_**. No copyright infringement is intended with this fanfiction.**

**I am assuming that anyone reading this story is familiar with **_**The Sookie Stackhouse series**_**; therefore, I do not introduce the characters.**

"Sookie, we have a problem," Sam called to me from his office as I was filling the last of the salt shakers at the bar. We had locked the door for the night just moments before.

"What is it?" Jane Bodehouse slurred from her perch on her usual stool.

I reached over and patted her arm. "I probably ordered too many wings or something. I'll go see what's up."

Jane thoughts were a montage of regrets tonight. It was like she was hashing over every bad decision, conversation, event – everything that had ever happened in her life. I wanted to tell her that we all carry with us things that we wish we had done differently or things we wish we could change. Fortunately, I didn't have the magnitude of some of the regrets that I saw floating around in her head, but I had my own just the same.

I had tried, early in the evening, to bait her into talking to me. She didn't bite. Being Saturday night, we were too busy for me to spend a great deal of time with her. All I could do was show her what kindness I could and do my best to not let her thoughts drag me down. At least there had been plenty of other thoughts bouncing around the room to distract me.

"What is it Sam?" I asked, once inside the tiny office.

"I finally got hold of Jane's son," Sam said running his hand through his unruly reddish curls. "He is at home with the flu. He picked up the phone after I called the third time, but he sounds absolutely awful. I told him we would take care of getting her home."

My first instinct was to tell Sam he was on his own. He had no business volunteering me for something like this. I forced myself to take a deep breath, because when I thought about it, I would have told her son the same thing.

"I'm sorry Cher, I know it's late. If you will drive her home in her car, I'll follow along behind."

I painted on my Sookie smile. "Sure. Just let me grab my purse."

Jane's thought processes went hazy before we were even out of the parking lot and she was snoring a mile down the street. Fortunately, I knew where she lived, so I didn't need to wake her for directions. Unfortunately, her house was quite the trek from town.

I wasn't particularly tired. Having worked the closing shift for three days in a row now, Gran had let me sleep in. I felt guilty when I woke up at noon and she had already been cleaning for hours. I quickly whipped up some lunch for us (brunch for me). Afterward, I made sure Gran relaxed a little while I scrubbed down the tub, but then we proceeded to tackle the windows together.

With Jane safely on her couch and her car parked in the garage, Sam and I climbed into his truck. Sam's mind was its usual jumble of noises rather than discernable thoughts. I leaned my head against the cool window. It felt wonderful after the bustle of the busy bar earlier in the night. I let out a contented sigh, feeling completely relaxed.

"Are you hungry, Cher?" Sam asked, startling me from my reverie.

"Um," my stomach growled as if on cue. "I guess I am."

"We're halfway to Renard Parish out here. Do you want to go get some breakfast at Denny's?"

I knew Gran would be sound asleep after the intense cleaning session this morning. My plan after work had been to heat up whatever leftovers I could find in the fridge and curl up with my latest library book. If it had been a good book, I may have been tempted to tell Sam no. But I actuality, I was having a lot of trouble getting into that story. "That sounds nice," I said.

"Great, cause I'm starving," Sam said. "It seemed like every time I tried to get away from the bar for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat tonight, something needed my attention. Denny's with you sounds a lot better than mac and cheese with reruns back at my trailer."

I had to laugh. "Mac and cheese? What are you, 5?"

"Hey, don't knock the goodness of a box of Kraft."

"I can't remember the last time I had boxed macaroni and cheese," I said, straining my brain to go back that far.

"I'll fix you some sometime."

"I can't wait!" I wrinkled my nose. "Hey, who was the guy you were talking to so intently in the corner tonight?" I asked, ready to steer the conversation in a new direction.

"His name is Calvin Norris. He lives out in Hotshot."

"I've seen him in the bar from time to time," I said, more as an observation than anything else.

"He's a good friend."

"Is everything OK? You guys had your heads together for quite a while."

Sam gripped the steering wheel. "We have similar interests," he said bluntly. "Who was Jason's new girl?"

I could tell Sam was changing the subject. I knew enough not to push the issue. We launched into a full discussion of Jason's latest. I got the feeling from some of Sam's comments about my brother's escapades that Sam's sex life bared more of a resemblance to mine than Jason's. Although, I was fairly certain that at some point in his life, he probably had had a sex life.

When the subject of Jason had been exhausted, we moved on to my Gran. Talking about her always made me smile. And if I wasn't mistaken, Sam seemed to smile when I did. Next we discussed the plans for the bachelor party scheduled at the bar the following week; then the latest in other town gossip. The conversation flowed easily from one topic to the next – through the meal and the drive home.

By the time I climbed into my own car back at the bar, it was nearly 5am. I couldn't help but appreciate how much better the night had been than I had originally planned.

10am came very quickly. I smacked my alarm clock in disgust and dragged myself to the bathroom for a shower. Gran and I had made plans to go to the late service since I had to work the closing shift. If I had come home, I would have had plenty of sleep. But, I had had a good time with Sam. By the time my shower was done, I decided it had been a good trade off. The extra sleep I got yesterday should make up for the lack of it today. I would survive.

Soon I was clad in my favorite dress with a swirled pattern of blue, green and black and black one inch heels. I twisted my hair into a loose bun with a few strands pulled out and curled to frame my face, and I brushed on a light layer of makeup. Gran had poured my morning coffee into a bright orange travel mug that I had won as a door prize at the last church bizarre, and we were ready to go.

We chatted about the previous night on the short trip. "Good," was Gran's only response when I told her about the breakfast with Sam. I wasn't quite sure what to make of her comment so I chose to politely ignore it. Sam was my boss. I did not wish to consider the previous night a date. I had told Gran before how I felt about approaching any kind of a relationship with my boss.

That very boss was waiting for Gran and me at the door of the Lutheran church. "Do you mind if I join you ladies?"

"Why of course not, Sam," Gran said taking his arm once we had stepped into the foyer.

I had to smile. Because as much as I usually insisted that I not think of my boss in that way, that way is precisely how I had been thinking of him all morning. I fell in line behind them and meandered toward our favorite pew.


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, CH owns it all. I'm just playing with her characters.**

Bamboozled! That was exactly how I felt. Slick as a practiced used car salesman, Sam had slid right between Gran and me on the way out of the church and asked, "Would the Stackhouse women do me the honor of joining me for lunch?" He knew my Gran would never refuse such an offer. He punctuated his request with a gloating smirk in my direction.

So here I sat, in a little diner called _The Comfort Zone,_ across the street from my church. And surprisingly, I was thoroughly enjoying myself, which was beginning to scare me a little.

Sam was dressed in a pair of dark gray pants with a deep maroon long-sleeved pullover shirt. I couldn't help but notice how his shirt seemed to hug his pectoral muscles just enough to let me know how firm they were without being considered too tight for the Sunday morning crowd. You'd think, with my Gran sitting at the table, fully immersed in conversation with us, I wouldn't be noticing such things. But I was hyper-aware of him right now. He seemed so at ease sitting here at the table with "the Stackhouse women". I had to admit, I was completely at ease too – like this little setting was just as it should be.

"I take it business is good," Gran said during a lull in the more interesting conversation, "as busy as you've been keeping my granddaughter!" She said it in a teasing tone, and I believe Sam took it as such.

"She's off tomorrow night," Sam said matter-of-factly. "Actually Sookie," Sam continued in the next breath, "I wanted to see if you would go to the street fair with me tomorrow evening in Shreveport? Since you're off," he added with an afterthought and a smile.

Okay, I had a speech prepared for this. "Sam, you are my boss and my friend. I really don't think it's a good idea for us to date and risk the relationship we have." I was proud of how diplomatic and practical it sounded, or it would have sounded had I gotten the chance to say it. In reality, the only thing I got out was, "Sam…"

"That would be absolutely wonderful if you could take her there tomorrow," my Gran chimed in.

And I thought I felt bamboozled before lunch!

"I have several ladies coming over tomorrow evening to plan the next dinner for the Descendants of the Glorious Dead chapter," Gran continued, as though this decision was entirely up to her. "I don't want Sookie to have to stay in her room all evening. I'm sure the street fair would be much more exciting than that."

I sat there with my mouth gaping open. Gran never had planning meetings for dinners for the Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Maxine Fortenberry usually just told the cooking committee what she expected them to bring after one of the regular meetings. Maybe they were planning a coup to oust Maxine from the position of chairman.

I shook myself. Why was I thinking of the planning committee excuse? Gran had just accepted a date on my behalf, but once again, I seemed to be unable to protest.

"Great!" Sam said getting to his feet and grabbing the check off the table. "I'll pick you up around six."

I had to say something. I wanted to say something. But I didn't. Not only had I not come up with a way to get out of going on a date with Sam, I had now allowed him to buy me two meals in the past twelve hours.

I stomped to the car and plopped my tush into the driver's seat. Gran acted oblivious to the whole incident and sat next to me humming the last hymn from the service. I listened to _He Lives_ four times through before I had had enough.

"Gran, you had no right to tell Sam I would go out with him tomorrow night," I blurted out. "And since when do you have dinner planning meetings at our house?"

"Tomorrow will be the first," she said and went back to her humming, totally dodging the main issue. If I hadn't been so irritated with her, I would have been impressed with how well she could maintain a poker face. But then again, I had an excellent poker face, and I had a pretty good idea where I had inherited it from.

By the time we pulled into our bumpy driveway, I was fuming. I parked the car in front of the house, jumped out as soon as I turned the key off, and slammed my door shut. I stood with my arms crossed in front of my chest, staring at Gran's side of the car.

She was truly enjoying this. She collected her purse and church bulletin and leisurely stepped from the car. When she acted as though she was going to step right on past me and into the house, I finally spoke up again. "Gran, Sam is my boss."

Gran let out a sigh, apparently accepting that I was not going to let her pass on the cute-little-old-lady card.

"Sookie Stackhouse, I know that Sam is your boss," she said placing her hands on her hips, effectively taking on an offensive stance. "You like him. I know you do, and he likes you. So far, you have been too stubborn to do anything about it, so I'm helping you along."

I let my arms fall to my sides. Gran had taught me to respect my elders, especially her, and here I was – challenging her. She looked pretty fierce, but this was important. I like my job. I clenched my hands into fists and pressed on. "I'm not saying I don't like him, but I don't want to have to quit my job."

"Why would you have to quit your job?"

I threw my hands up, feeling exasperated. "If Sam and I go out and it doesn't work out, don't you think it would be really awkward to work together?"

"And what if it does work out?"

Her question stopped me short. "Excuse me?"

Gran took a step toward me. "Sookie, you and Sam are both adults. I trust that you can both handle yourselves professionally if you attempt a relationship and it does not work. Do you see Jason turning and high-tailing it out of Merlotte's every time a former flame of his walks through the door?"

I let out an involuntary snort. "Jason would never be able to go anywhere if he avoided every woman he's ever gone out with," I said with a little more nasty in my voice than I intended.

"I'm not saying that I condone Jason's behavior. I am saying that you could learn a thing or two from him."

I allowed Gran to lead me to the porch swing so we could sit. My head was swimming a little.

We sat in silence for a moment before Gran continued with her reasoning, which I hated to admit, was starting to make sense. "Honey, you have told me that you can't hear Sam like you can hear everyone else. That is a plus."

I nodded my head.

"I think you should give him a chance." She reached over and grabbed my hand. "Consider what it would be like if it does work out for a change." As much as I tried to stay out of Gran's head, with her holding my hand, I couldn't help it. I could tell that she whole-heartedly believed what she was telling me.

"It's a beautiful day," Gran said, getting to her feet after a few minutes of silence. "I imagine you'll want to work on your tan a little before work. Could you make a pitcher of tea to steep in the sun before you head out?"

I slowly got to my feet and followed her into the house to do what she had asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in this story. It is a lot of fun to write. And thank you CH for the great characters.**

I tried not to think about 6pm to hard. I went through recipes with Gran for her meeting and then I told her I'd pick up the extra stuff she needed from the grocery store. I returned a couple of books to the library, and I paid my car insurance.

I stopped at Tara's Togs to see if she had anything saved back for me. I figured a date was a date, even if I had been coerced into it. Now that I was going, I may as well make the best of it. Tara was really busy for a Monday, so I browsed a little on my own.

"Excuse me Ma'am," I heard Tara say politely to one of her customers, "I just need to get an item this client ordered." She motioned toward me and then disappeared into the backroom.

My interest was piqued. It must be good if she felt the need to make another customer wait.

Tara didn't disappoint. I stood in the dressing room eyeing myself in every direction. The sundress had a white background, though not much of it was visible. It was covered in clusters of lilacs, my favorite flower. The lilacs on the bodice were pale, but below the waistline, they gradually grew darker to a deep purple row around the hem. It had the requisite built-in bra; Tara never saved sundresses back for me without one. I mentally tallied the balance in my checkbook after my previous stop. I wanted this dress. I noticed Tara had already removed the tag. I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign.

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door. "Sookie, try these on." Tara handed me a pair of purple and gray flip-flops.

"They're athletic sandals," I said, eyeing the brand name.

"Trust me; they are so comfortable you won't care." She tossed them to me and disappeared again.

Once again, she was correct.

I took a long bath, shaving all the necessary places and applying a deep conditioning face mask. I put my hair in soft rollers then dressed in my bikini to sit outside and let the sun dry my curls. All-in-all, it was a very relaxing day off. Even if my date turned out to be awful, I was thoroughly enjoying myself preparing for it.

I heard the rumble of Sam's truck on our drive as I put the last touches of make-up on. I smiled at my reflection, unable to stop myself.

"You look beautiful," Sam said, kissing me lightly on the cheek.

I had to wonder, if I really didn't want this relationship to go anywhere, why had I worked so hard for his reaction? I was starting to think my Gran may be onto something. "Thank you," I said softly, slipping my hand through the crook of his arm.

"Why don't you let me drive," I said once on the front porch. "You shouldn't have to finance all of the time we spend together." I nudged him lightly with my shoulder.

"I consider time with you a good investment," he said, returning my teasing tone. "But, if you want to drive, I'm fine with that."

I wouldn't have really called it a street fair, more like an outdoor diner with live music. Traffic was blocked to the main square in town, allowing for tables and a stage to be set out in the street. Sam said that different restaurants in the area took turns catering the event that took place every other month.

The food and the entertainment were very good. When the band would take a break, they would open up the stage for karaoke. I wondered if someone screened the participants before they were permitted to sing, because I didn't see a single bad act. Maybe people just knew that the setting was serious, not a place to belt out a drunken display.

Sam and I talked and danced. A few people would come up to Sam from time to time, and he would introduce them to me. Most of them were other business owners.

Being around so many people always took its toll on me. It was easier than when I worked at Merlotte's, because I didn't have to listen for orders and requests. It helped that the only person I really had to listen to was Sam, but after a while, the crowd did start to give me a little bit of a headache. Sam seemed to sense my discomfort and suggested that we go. I couldn't help but marvel at yet another way that he just seemed to know what I needed without me having to ask.

"Are you glad you came tonight?" Sam asked as we strolled our way to my car. The street fair was a very popular affair, so we had had to park several blocks away.

"I did have a good time."

"That wasn't really what I asked," he said sliding my hand from his elbow and entwining his fingers through mine. "You didn't seem too thrilled when I asked yesterday."

I let out a sigh. "I'm just not real comfortable with dating my boss."

"I don't see why that should make a difference."

"Of course it makes a difference," I said, pulling my hand from his. "We have to be able to work together."

"We have become friends over the past few years of working together. Now I'm just asking you for a chance to be…" He stopped in front of me in the middle of the sidewalk, forcing me to look at him. "I'm asking for a chance to be more."

He leaned forward. A part of me wanted to close the little bit of distance that was left between us and allow him to kiss me. I was fairly certain that was what he had in mind. But another part of me retreated. "Sam, there are things about me that you don't know." Just like many others, I imagined Sam suspected that I was - unique. Suspecting and having ones suspicions confirmed were drastically different things.

Sam took my hand again and proceeded toward my car. "Of course there are things about you that I don't know. I've never had the chance to learn them. There are things about me that you don't know, and I am really looking forward to being able to share those things with you."

I chuckled a bit. "Like what don't I know about you?"

Sam squeezed my hand. "Like…I played baseball when I was in high school."

"I played softball," I said.

"You see. That wasn't so hard now was it?"

I shook my head and laughed, but I didn't respond.

Suddenly, Sam stopped walking. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll bet that place has batting cages." He pointed to an old warehouse type building that had been converted to a place called _Sports Unlimited_. "I'll try to hit a round of softballs and you try to hit a round of baseballs. If I get more hits than you, you'll go out with me again."

"And if I get more?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I'll give you an extra day off next week." He raised his eyebrows at me in a challenge.

"My bat is under my seat of the car."

The attendant looked at Sam a little strange when he said he wanted the softball lane instead of baseball. I had to do my best to keep a straight face when he then told the guy he wanted the speed set to an average high school fast-pitch pitcher.

"Okay. You keep track of the number of hits."

I nodded my head in agreement and stepped behind the netting.

He spread his feet apart and put the bat on his shoulder. The first pitch sailed past him. "Strike one," I said in a teasing tone.

"No comments from the peanut gallery!"

Sam took a good swing at the second pitch, but it was too late to connect. "You have to swing earlier than you're used to. In softball, the ball is pitched from forty feet instead of sixty.

Sam grinned at me. "You want me to win, don't you?"

"Just trying to make sure you don't embarrass yourself too badly," I said with as straight a face as I could muster.

Another pitch sailed past. I repressed the urge to yell "strike three".

Sam tilted his chin down and readied the bat at his shoulder. The next pitch sped toward him. "Snap," it connected.

"Snap, snap, snap." He hit three of the next four pitches. I had to admit that I truly enjoyed watching him: the way his arms flexed as he gripped the bat, the way his leg muscles bulged right through his Levi's as he swung his hips around, the way he concentrated so hard on where the next pitch was coming. I tried to shake myself out of the daze he was inducing. He was up to seven hits.

I glanced down at my new dress. I thought back to the super-supportive-the-girls-ain't-goin-nowhere sports bra I used to wear when I played back in high school. If I had any hope of winning this little contest, I would have to swing for all I was worth. I really didn't think the little built-in would be up to it.

Sam was starting to break a sweat now, which made him all the more sexy. I found myself wondering what it would be like to touch that muscle on his arm or feel his stomach clench as he shifted his weight. I made myself look away when I began to wonder what the little beads of perspiration on his neck would taste like. _Pull yourself together,_ I scolded.

"Snap," another crack rang out. I had almost forgotten that I was supposed to be counting.

"How many did I get?" he asked when the whir of the pitching machine stopped.

"42," I stated with conviction, although I really wasn't sure of the exact number.

He handed me the bat. "Your turn," he said motioning toward the baseball cage.

"You can't hit baseballs with a softball bat," I said matter-of-factly, not moving from my spot.

Sam stood staring at me. "What?"

"You can't hit baseballs with a softball bat," I repeated. "It will dent the bat."

"Then I win," he said confidently. He stepped forward and placed his strong hand at the small of my back, pulling me up close to his hot body.

"You win," I said softly, just before his lips claimed mine. And let me tell you, he tasted wonderful.

I wouldn't have believed that the second kiss could be better than the first, but it absolutely was. We were standing on the back steps of my house. I shuddered as Sam's tongue caressed my upper lip. He was igniting delicate places in my body and the heat was amazing. We were both breathing heavily by the time we broke apart.

"I have a confession," I told him, resting my head on his shoulder.

Sam brushed my hair back and placed small kisses at the nape of my neck. "What's that?" he asked.

"I would have gone out with you again," I shuddered a little when he hit a sensitive spot, "even without the hitting." I chuckled. "Although I did enjoy watching."

"Not near as much as I would have enjoyed watching you swing a bat in that dress!"


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm sorry it's been so long between chapters. Just like most of us here on fanfiction, I'm a spare time writer. When life whittles away at my spare time, I have to sweep up the shavings before going on with the project at hand! I hope you find that it was worth the wait. **

**Thank you to all of you that have enjoyed and reviewed this story. I am having a lot of fun writing it.**

**And, sadly enough, I still don't own the Southern Vampire Mysteries. Charlaine Harris does.**

It has been almost three weeks since that memorable first, and second, kiss. Sam and I have had numerous opportunities to improve our techniques. And, we have managed to keep our little escapes hidden from our co-workers.

It was Sunday night and we had big plans after work. Well, if you could call big plans having dinner together at Sam's trailer after we closed the bar. I considered it big plans. I chuckled to myself each time I would see Sam bolt out the back door and over to his place to check on his slow cooker.

I had made up my mind that I was going to tell him tonight. Sam had hinted that he wanted to have a serious talk. I had thought about it before that, but his comments made me convinced even more.

My stomach growled. I had eaten a light brunch before church this morning and then opted to skip lunch in preparation for the feast that Sam had promised. I had tasted his cooking before, so I was fairly certain he wouldn't disappoint. Merlotte's closed at 11pm on Sunday's, so it would be a late meal.

It was now 9:30pm. Just Sam, me, Lafayette, and Dawn were left in the bar. I saw an opportunity. Sam was behind the bar, and our two coworkers were occupied in other areas. I ran my hand along his behind. He smiled at me from the corner of his mouth, then went back to filling the pitcher of Budweiser. This had become our little game. We stole opportunities to touch each other when no one else could see. A couple days ago, Sam had snuck up behind me when I was putting my purse away in his office. He reached around me and palmed my breast, kissed me quickly on the back of the neck, and then was out the door before I had the drawer completely shut. I had to wait in the office for a minute to get my nipples calmed down.

"I thought everyone would never leave," Sam muttered just before he leaned his lips to mine for the official kick-off of our date.

I ran my tongue up the side of his neck to his ear. "That's not a very good business attitude," I whispered just before nipping his earlobe.

Sam pulled the scrunchie off of my ponytail and fluffed my hair around my shoulders. He loved to bury his face in my curls and deep breathe. I have told him that it's probably my coconut milk mouse that he smells, but he insists that the scent is all me.

"Why would you want to work for someone who doesn't take his business seriously," he teased.

I snaked my arm around his waist, and we headed out the back door to his place.

"That was delicious," I cooed, finishing my plate of barbecued ribs and a perfect baked potato. We had begun the meal with a tossed salad complete with fresh mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.

"How about we wait a little while for dessert?" Sam asked, getting up to clear the plates. "I don't think I could eat another bite right now."

"That's fine with me." I stood to help him tidy up the kitchen; although, it really didn't need much tidying. Sam had all of the dishes he had used to prepare the meal already done up.

"Let me get this Sookie," he said kissing me on the forehead. "But you can pour us another glass of tea, if you'd like."

With our glasses filled with sweet sun tea and the dishes loaded in the dishwasher, we headed to the sofa. We sat in silence: simply savoring the closeness to each other. I leaned against his firm chest, and he twirled a lock of my hair around and around his finger absentmindedly.

"Sam, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," he encourage continuing his twirling.

"What made you come to the service the first morning you sat with Gran and me? I'm not complaining; I'm glad that you did. I had never seen you there before. Did you come to see me?" Well, that was more than one question, but I figured Sam would understand what I was after.

Sam chuckled; the rumble his chest caused against my back sent shivers down my spine. "You have talked about going to that church before. When I got back that night, I went to the bar first to check on-line what time the services were. I figured since you had worked the late shift, you would be at the late service." He removed a lock of hair from my neck so he could place a soft kiss there. "So in answer to your last question, yes, I came to see you."

"You know she expects you there all the time now," I warned.

"I haven't missed a service," he said with pride. "I really do like the minister," he kissed my neck again, "not as well as the company, of course."

I sucked in a deep breath. I made up my mind. I had planned to tell him tonight, and I wasn't going to put it off for fear that I would chicken out. "Sam, do you know what people in town call me?"

"I don't care what anyone else calls you," he said defensively.

I had to grin a little to myself at how he tried to protect me, even just during a conversation. "I don't really care either, but I want to know if you know why they call me Crazy Sookie?" Well, the question came out a little more jumbled than I had intended, but it was out. There was no way to take back the topic now.

"I've heard a little bit of everything," he said softly, still trying to ease the blow. "The general consensus is that you can read minds."

I shifted away from him so that I could turn to see his face. Part of me wanted to laugh and make some off-hand comment about how silly backwater folk could be. That way I would get to keep our relationship as is. But a bigger part of me wanted him to know the truth: wanted him to know the whole me. "They're right," I said.

I let out a soft sigh of relief when he lifted his hand to caress my cheek. "I think you're perfect the way you are."

I had to smile, because what girl wouldn't smile when she's given a compliment like that? He then only made the moment even better by leaning forward for a kiss.

"Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Not really," I answered honestly. "I don't try to listen in to you, but when I do catch a glimpse, I generally just get a buzz or flashes of color. Sometimes I've picked up a word or two."

He smiled a little and scooted back on the sofa. "Try it," he said. He acted like a ten year old getting ready to play a new video game. "Try to see if you can read what I'm thinking."

"Sam, I usually spend all of my time trying NOT to hear what people are thinking," I said with a groan.

"I just want to see if you can hear me when I'm trying to project right to you."

I smacked my hands on my knees. "Okay," I said. I mostly just heard the usual cacophony. "I can tell you are thinking about me…" I closed my eyes to try and get a better read. "You are thinking about the night we went to Denny's." I paused for a moment when the picture shifted. I saw a quick flash of a shaggy dog before the picture went fuzzy again.

He reached forward, grabbed my hands in his and looked directly into my eyes. _I love you,_ I heard plain as day.

I gasped. "I love you too." I flung my arms around his neck.

Sam placed his strong arms around me and pressed me to his chest. "I love you," he said out loud.

I had already read it in his mind, but hearing it, with my ears, made his declaration complete.

Sam took a deep breath, like he was bracing himself, much the same way I had at the beginning of this conversation. He sat back away from me again so we could see eye to eye. "So you can only hear me if you concentrate really hard while most everyone else you can't help but hear." He said the words as though he were doing a recap. "Why do you suppose that is?"

I would have been lying if I said that I had never thought about it. Many a time I had wondered what made Sam's thought patterns so drastically different. "I don't know."

He let go of my hands and stared at the floor.

"Just tell me Sam," I encouraged. Honestly, I didn't think there was anything that he could tell me that would change how I felt about him.

"You know how everyone knows about vampires now? And you can read minds?"

I nodded in encouragement.

"There are other creatures out there that are more than they appear to be." He looked at me with resolve. "I'm a shapeshifter."

I stared for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should speak. I wasn't entirely sure of what I had heard. "A shapeshifter?" I finally managed to stammer out.

"I can change into almost any animal I choose. During the full moon, I have to change."

His expression seemed to soften as I allowed a smile to creep across my face. "That would explain why you had to go 'Help your friend Calvin put drywall up in his basement'." I put air quotes around the excuse he had given me for not being able to go out those nights, even though Terry was tending the bar.

His cheeks turned a little red. "Guilty," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Although, Calvin really did help me put up the shelves in the store room at the bar, so I do owe him a favor sometime. I just didn't pay him back last week." Sam's face grew serious again. He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "I hated lying to you, Sookie," he whispered. "I don't want to have to lie to you anymore."

I thought that I would feel some relief once I told Sam about my disability. As much fun as I was having with him, it was always in the back of my mind – how he would react when he found out. Relief did not even describe how I felt. And as good as I felt, I could only imagine that Sam's feeling topped mine tenfold. "I'm glad you told me," I said, running my hand up his well sculpted arm.

Sam leaned forward and softly kissed my lips. The softness soon grew into a full exploration. The truth now between us seemed to open up a whole new level of intimacy.

"I'm glad you know about me too," I whispered breathlessly when we broke apart.

Sam chuckled against my neck as he fluffed my hair some more. "It should certainly make the next full moon easier to deal with. Not that I'll be happy to be away from you, but you'll at least know where I am."

"And where exactly do you go?" I asked, completely curious now. "Do you have a certain form that you prefer to take?"

Sam sat up straight and looked me in the eye. "I usually run through the woods around here." He stood up. "As far as what I look like when I run, I'll show you. Wait here," he said, then disappeared down the hall.

I picked my glass up off of the end table and took a long drink of my sweet tea. I smiled to myself. This date was going better than I had expected. Actually, I hadn't known at all what to expect. I just know that I felt like I now, I could relax. I could take off my uncomfortable, underwire bra that I only wore when there weren't any others clean, kick my shoes off, and completely relax, figuratively speaking, of course. I was wearing an elegant white lace set, and I hadn't taken it off, yet anyway. If things continued, it was a possibility.

I heard sort of a crunching noise from the direction in which Sam had disappeared followed by a whine that did not sound human. In the next moment, I was greeted by the long-haired collie that I had seen a glimpse of in Sam's mind. I leaned forward and rubbed the dog behind the ears. His tail wagged. It was a little weird patting my boyfriend on the top of the head. I had to protest when he tried to nuzzle his nose between my breasts. "Sam, I don't care if you are a dog right now." I swatted his snout away. "Turn back into Sam, and we'll talk," I said raising my eyebrows.

The air around me suddenly seemed charged with electricity. The dog began to shimmer. I closed my eyes when I heard the same disturbing noise that I had heard down the hall.

"Um, Sookie," Sam said.

I finally looked, knowing that the transformation was complete. What I saw made me gasp. Sam was naked – on his knees in front of me. He was crouched over and was doing his best to cover himself with his arms.

"Can you turn around," he pleaded. "That's why I went to the bedroom to shift. I obviously didn't think my plan through enough to have some cover for when I came back," he said, wearing nothing but an impish grin.

I couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of me. Sam's cheeks had actually turned a soft blushed pink – both sets.

I slid to my knees on the floor in front of him, and I most definitely did not shut my eyes. I reached forward and ran my splayed fingers over his well-sculpted chest tracing a line down to his navel. His muscles twitched, then tensed, then relaxed. I pulled my eyes from the delicious display of skin to read his reaction.

I pretty much knew the response I would get; Sam pulled my Merlotte's white T-shirt over my head and tossed it onto the sofa. Now it was my turn to blush. The embarrassment was soon replaced by sheer arousal as he ran his thumbs over my breasts, keeping his gaze locked with mine. As good as his touch felt through the thin lacy fabric, I knew it would only get better without it. I slowly reached behind my back, taking my time, and un-clasped my bra.

"You're beautiful," Sam whispered. He closed the distance between us, pressing our bodies together.

I ran my hands along the muscular path from his shoulders to the cleft of his buttocks. I could feel Sam's delight in our closeness growing harder by the second against the bare skin of my abdomen. His mouth closed over mine.

I'm not sure who stood first. Just like I can't remember exactly which one of us removed my shorts and panties. I only knew that I wanted to be as close to Sam as humanly possible. We had shared our secrets, bared our souls, and now it was time to fuse our bodies.

"Sam," I said softly.

"Hmm?" he mumbled into my ear between soft kisses to my throat.

I hesitated. It didn't feel like long, but he noticed my apprehension.

Sam stepped back to look at me. "What is it, Cher?"

I could feel the heat rising again in my cheeks. "I've never…"

"Never?"

I shook my head. "I want to," I said snaking my arms around his waist, "with you."

I was a bit surprised at the black satin sheets on his bed. I would have guessed Sam to prefer cotton or possibly even flannel – just another one of the ways that Sam continued to amaze me. The smooth fabric felt wonderful and cool on my back, evening the rising heat inside my body from what Sam was doing to my front. His tongue felt rough against my nipples which sent shivers that extended to my toes after leaving an overwhelming deposit at my center.

I suddenly had a horrible thought, one that hadn't occurred to me due to my lack of practical experience in the area of physical contact. "What about birth control?"

Sam shifted his weight from on top of me, leaving me missing his touch. He opened the top drawer of his nightstand and pulled out a small box of condoms. My first thought was absolute relief that we did not have to stop. But then the next thought hit. "Hey," I said grabbing a fistful of his hair. "Did you do all of this to get me in the sack?"

Sam chuckled, renewing the tingles in me. "I cooked a meal for the woman I love tonight. But I would be lying if I told you that I was not hopeful that we would end up in this position." He punctuated his declaration with a smirk and returned his attention to my chest.

"Ohhh," I moaned.

"You're not too angry with me to go on are you?"

I could hear the cockiness in his tone, but before I could protest, his fingers started doing amazing things to me. His thumb swirled around the apex of my delicate spot while his finger danced a gentle rhythm in and out of my entrance.

"I'm fine with continuing," I managed to say somewhat coherently.

My head lulled back as I felt another finger enter me. I pulled his mouth to mine, keeping my tongue set to the tempo he set below.

"Are you ready?"

I looked deep into his eyes and saw behind them the honesty of what he had told me on the couch. He did love me. "Yes," I said.

I forced myself to take even breathes as I waited for him to dispose of the foil packet.

"This may hurt a little," he said as he settled himself back into his previous position.

All I could think about was how superb his touch felt. The shift from his digits to his member caused me a jolt of discomfort that was soon swallowed up by the pleasure of his movements. I wrapped my legs around his and pressed my hips toward him. I grasped at his shoulders and back. I could feel a pressure starting to build inside my pelvis. At first it was just another new sensation that I didn't have time to process, but it soon grew into a force of living proportion. Sam moved faster, which was more than I could take. I felt my muscles clench so hard it felt like I may actually turn myself inside out. My own cry of pleasure was soon followed by a growl and a shudder from Sam.

"Um, Wow!" I said when my breathing had returned to normal.

Sam laughed, the movement causing an aftershock that we both enjoyed. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said. He placed a kiss on my ear, still not making any movement toward removing himself from me, which suited me just fine.

The chilled cheesecake that Sam had made for dessert tasted absolutely wonderful - for breakfast.


	5. Chapter 5

**Once again, I do not own Sookie Stackhouse or any of her friends.**

I straightened my ponytail and tucked my white Merlotte's t-shirt in as I gave myself a final once over in the mirror in Sam's office. I couldn't help but smile at the woman staring back at me. It was amazing what a few days of sunshine and a lot of good sex could do for the complexion.

"Hey, girl!" Lafayette swooned, sweeping me into a hug. "I like a good secret just like anyone else, but if had a secret as yummy as Sam, I think I would have let him slip."

I laughed and thanked him, not really sure how I should respond. Lafayette was probably used to it. I often didn't know what to say to some of the things that came out of his mouth; I was just thankful I did not have to comment on the things inside his head.

Just outside the door, I was attacked by Dawn. At this rate, I was going to be late on my first day back to work, even though I was actually in the bar ten minutes early.

"We were only gone for five days," I said hugging her back.

"But you missed a big event," Arlene chimed in, next in line for her hug.

"I hope you aren't categorizing the floors being refinished as a big event," I teased.

"No silly," Arlene cooed. "Merlotte's had its first vampire."

"No!" I had been waiting since the big reveal to meet a vampire; although, some of the information Sam had shared with me about them made me a little more cautious.

Arlene didn't make it a secret that she thought vampires were unnatural and evil. Living in a town the size of Bon Temps, even a possibly evil visitor made for good gossip. "He asked about you."

That caught my attention. "What did he want?"

"He didn't say. He just asked if he could speak with Sookie Stackhouse." She threw her arm over my shoulders and steered us out toward the bar. "Don't worry, I set him straight. I told him that he was welcome to come back, but he needed to ask for Sookie Merlotte."

I couldn't help but blush a little. I still wasn't used to hearing my new name. As if the cheesecake we had eaten for our breakfast last Sunday morning hadn't been delicious enough, the proposal was what had brought me to tears. A literal proposal. His suggestion was to board a cruise ship in New Orleans on Tuesday and have the Captain perform the ceremony. I, of course, felt that my Gran should be there to share it with me.

I passed along the news to Gran less than an hour later, with Sam by my side, at our kitchen table. We tossed around ideas as to how we could get married in Bon Temps before we left.

Then my Gran asked the second question that made me cry that morning. "What do you want dear?" Gran was like that. She had an uncanny ability to cut through the crap and bring out what was really important. "I would love to be there with you if that's what you want, but I don't have to be. I'll love you and be thrilled for you from anywhere."

"I want to go on the cruise," I said. I had always dreamed of going on a trip like that and getting married on one had made it almost magical.

The timing had been perfect. The bar was already going to be closed for a couple of days for the floor. A few quick calls to some of the employees and Terry, and we were set to go.

"Did the vampire say what he wanted?" I asked, getting over the shock and pulling myself back to the present.

"No." Arlene wrinkled her nose. "He obviously doesn't have very good taste; the only people he really talked to were the Ratrays. He left with them and no one has seen him since."

**This scenario would have saved Sookie the heartache of Bill's betrayal, but it would have also deprived her of a lot of steamy sex with the vampire Viking. Would it have been better or worse? Would she have been able to avoid getting pulled into so many supernatural issues? The queen already knew about her, but at least she would have had Sam by her side to help her navigate the waters.**

**I hope you have enjoyed this little alternative to the Sookie story. If you did, and would like to continue it from here, feel free!**


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